1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a side bottom structure of a vehicle body, and more particularly, to an improved structure of a side sill, a front pillar, and a side outer panel and a method of combining them.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, the side bottom structure of vehicles is composed of a side sill, the lower portion of a front pillar, and a side outer panel, forms the external appearance of the side and functions as a support against load. In particular, shock load is divided and supported to the upper portion of the front pillar and the side sill in a front collision of a vehicle, such that appropriate shock performance is maintained.
In general, electrodeposition liquid is applied to the steel plate for vehicle bodies to give anti-corrosion performance in the process of assembling the vehicle bodies. The anti-corrosion performance means the ability of preventing corrosion of the steel plate. An effect of reducing vibration and noise transmitted along the surface of vehicle bodies can be achieved, only when electrodeposition liquid is appropriately applied to the inner and outer sides of the steel plate for the vehicle bodies.
In a side bottom structure of a vehicle body (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), a side sill 1, 2, which is a channel of the side bottom of a vehicle body and is formed by combining an inner side sill 1 and an outer side sill 2, is an important frame of the vehicle body, extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
The side outer panel 7, a part combined with the outer side sill 2, forms the external appearance of a side of a vehicle body together with a door outer panel. A vehicle body skin portion replacing a side sill molding (not shown) is formed on the side outer panel 7. The side sill molding is a plastic decoration part that is attached to improve the external appearance of the outer side sill 2 and protect the vehicle body.
In vehicles without a side sill molding, it is required to form a skin part replacing a side sill molding, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in order to function as a side sill molding.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a side bottom structure of a vehicle body of the related art has a drawback that electrodeposition liquid cannot flow smoothly due to an electrodeposition hole 9 at the upper portion of the side sill 1, 2. Even if electrodeposition liquid flows in the electrodeposition hole 9, it has to pass through a hole of the outer side sill 3 to be able to flow into the side outer panel 7. In particular, the hatched portion is vulnerable to corrosion and has a chronic problem.
Further, in the side bottom structure of a vehicle body of the related art, the side sill 1, 2 cannot protrude from the front of the front pillar because of formability of the side outer panel 7 and the external appearance of the joint with the front pillar, so the parts are divided and the collision performance is deteriorated.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.